I tried a new way to brace a big maple and it held up way better than I thought

We had a huge silver maple with a split crotch in a backyard in Akron. Instead of my usual steel cable and lag bolts, I used a synthetic rope system I saw at a trade show, the kind with the woven straps and ratchet. I figured it was worth a shot. After that big storm last week, I drove by and the tree was still standing solid, no new movement in the split at all. The rope had way more give than steel, so it moved with the wind instead of fighting it. Has anyone else switched to synthetic bracing for big, old trees like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

mia_lee2mo ago

Wait, you used rope on a silver maple?

brookepark2mo ago

Yeah, the "rope on a silver maple" thing. I used to think it was a bad idea too, but seeing how the bark doesn't grip like on other trees changed my mind. A proper cambium saver is key to not hurting it.

cameron7631mo ago

Oh man, that's a good point. In my experience, that whole "stiff is always better" thing applies to a lot more than just trees. You see it in how people treat relationships or jobs too. Sometimes you gotta bend a little to keep everything from snapping.

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